Ni2O3

nickel(III) oxide · nickel sesquioxide

Nickel(III) oxide is a metallic, metastable oxide catalyst frequently investigated for its role in oxygen-evolution electrochemical reactions.

Crystal structure of Ni2O3 (orthorhombic, Cmcm (No. 63))
Ground-state structure · Materials Project
Overview

About nickel(III) oxide

Nickel(III) oxide is a metallic oxide that functions within the class of oxygen-evolution catalysts. Its electronic character suggests high conductivity, which is a critical property for facilitating efficient charge transfer during electrochemical processes. Despite its potential utility, the compound is characterized as being above the thermodynamic hull, indicating that it is a metastable phase that requires specific synthetic conditions to stabilize. The material has been extensively documented, appearing in numerous structural databases, which underscores its significance in ongoing materials research. Its primary interest lies in its ability to mediate the oxygen-evolution reaction, a key step in sustainable energy conversion technologies like water splitting. By providing a surface for catalytic activity, it serves as a subject of intense study for improving the efficiency of electrochemical cells.

At a glance

Key Properties

Cross-validated computational properties for nickel(III) oxide, aggregated across 4 databases.

Band Gap

Metallic / not reported

Energy Above Hull

0.214 eV/atom
Best (lowest) across sources

Stability

Above hull
3 DFT sources

Structures

73
4 databases, 17 space groups
Crystallography

Reported Structures

Lowest-energy structures reported for Ni2O3, ranked by energy above hull.

Space GroupCrystal SystemBand Gap (eV)E above hull (eV/atom)E/atom (eV)Density (g/cm³)
Cmcm (No. 63)orthorhombic0.000.2138-6.0445.35
Cc (No. 9)monoclinic0.000.3911-5.8674.15
P1 (No. 1)Triclinic5.01
P1 (No. 1)Triclinic6.42
Pm (No. 6)Monoclinic4.93
Pm (No. 6)Monoclinic5.51
Pm (No. 6)Monoclinic5.53
C2/m (No. 12)Monoclinic6.50
P-1 (No. 2)Triclinic5.38
P-1 (No. 2)Triclinic5.01
Cm (No. 8)Monoclinic5.83
Cm (No. 8)Monoclinic5.67
Uses

Applications

Where nickel(III) oxide is used.

Oxygen-evolution catalysisElectrochemical water splittingEnergy storage research
Reference

Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about nickel(III) oxide, answered from cross-validated data.

What is Ni2O3?

Nickel(III) oxide is a metallic, metastable oxide catalyst frequently investigated for its role in oxygen-evolution electrochemical reactions.

More questions
What is Ni2O3 used for?
nickel(III) oxide (Ni2O3) is used in oxygen-evolution catalysis, electrochemical water splitting, and energy storage research.
What is the band gap of Ni2O3?
nickel(III) oxide (Ni2O3) is computed to be metallic (no band gap) in the reported DFT structures.
Is Ni2O3 a metal, semiconductor, or insulator?
Computed band structures report no gap, so it is metallic.
Is Ni2O3 thermodynamically stable?
nickel(III) oxide (Ni2O3) has a lowest energy above hull of 0.214 eV/atom (above hull).
What is the crystal structure of Ni2O3?
The lowest-energy reported polymorph of nickel(III) oxide (Ni2O3) is orthorhombic symmetry, space group Cmcm (No. 63).
What is the density of Ni2O3?
The computed density of the ground-state structure of nickel(III) oxide (Ni2O3) is 5.35 g/cm³.
How many polymorphs of Ni2O3 are known?
73 structures of Ni2O3 are reported across 4 databases, spanning 17 distinct space groups.
What elements does Ni2O3 contain?
nickel(III) oxide (Ni2O3) contains Ni and O (2 elements).
Where does the data for Ni2O3 come from?
Ni2O3 data is cross-referenced from materials_project, mpaloe.
Comparison

How It Compares

Within the oxide oxygen-evolution catalysts class.

Compared to more stable members of the oxide catalyst class such as NiO or the layered LiNiO2, Ni2O3 represents a more reactive and less thermodynamically favored state. While LaNiO3 and La2NiO4 offer more robust structural frameworks for catalytic applications, Ni2O3 is valued for its unique electronic configuration, which distinguishes it from the more conventional, insulating or semi-conducting oxides found in this group.

Explore

Related Compounds

Other Oxide Oxygen-Evolution Catalysts in the database.

Data sources & attribution
  • materials_project — Data from the Materials Project. Cite: Jain et al., APL Materials 1, 011002 (2013).
  • mpaloe — Data from mpaloe.

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